This was a warm and friendly gathering, held in a very apt location – the Auto Passion Café in southwest Paris, a venue that features a fair few references to the 24 Hours, such as a signed photograph of Henri Pescarolo, four-time winner at Le Mans.

The date of this Paris event was no coincidence: the 26 May 1923 was the date on which the first ever ‘Grand Prix d’Endurance de 24 Heures/Rudge-Whitworth Cup’ was held, the race that later became known as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The audience listened intently as Nicolas Pelletier, a tour guide at the 24 Hours circuit, described that first race, which took place under atrocious weather conditions.

He went on to tell some more of greatest and lesser-known stories of the race, while an LCD screen broadcast images from the ACO’s history, including its founders, former presidents, logos, different versions of the circuit, from the 1906 Grand Prix to the present day. At the end of his presentation, Pelletier was warmly congratulated by the audience of racing enthusiasts, always keen to learn something new about the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its history!

Drinks were then served to a soundtrack dominated by seventies and eighties rock music by bands such as Status Quo, Dire Straits, Van Halen, Free, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden. There was also plenty for the members present to see (or buy!) – old posters, official programmes from past races, old ACO medals and the new book ‘Les 24 Heures du Mans Pour les Nuls’ (The 24 Hours of Le Mans for Dummies!) by Gérard de Cortanze, a genuine mine of information.

In addition to the memorabilia, there were four scale models of pioneering vehicles from the Le Mans 24 Hours: the Alfa Romeo 8C driven by Lord Earl Howe and Henry Birkin (1931, first Italian constructor to win the race), the Mercedes 300 SL raced by Fritz Riess and Hermann Lang (1952, first German constructor to win), the Ford GT40 driven by Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver (1969, first of six victories for Ickx, alias ‘Mr Le Mans’) and the Porsche 917 of Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann (1970, first of seventeen victories for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer). All in all, it was a much appreciated look-back at the race’s history in the run-up to this year’s event on Saturday 18 June.


Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO | Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: PARIS (FRANCE), AUTO PASSION CAFE, the ACO’s 110th anniversary celebration, THURSDAY 26 MAY 2016. The boundless history of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the 24 Hours of Le Mans never fails to captivate an audience!